1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a server for controlling telecommunications and/or computer equipment using the short messages of fixed or mobile telephones.
The telecommunications equipment may be an automatic branch exchange capable of performing an automatic call-back function by which a user outside his company can be called back at the company's expense in order to communicate with a correspondent using his telephone terminal.
The computer equipment may be an item of home automation or interactive equipment.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hitherto, it has been possible to obtain remote access to telecommunications and/or computer services, especially for private installations, by means of a telephone or a data terminal that can get connected to a voice and/or data server of the company through the switched telephone network (STN).
Access to the telecommunications and/or computer services is obtained by voice access means that are slow or by complex connections, using modems for example.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system according to the prior art. In this system, a private entity EP is shown. This private entity contains a set of user telephone units 10 connected to a private automatic branch exchange 20. The automatic branch exchange is connected to a switched telephone network R1 as well as to a voice and/or data server 40 by means of a telephone line LT. The private automatic branch exchange is also connected by a CTI link referenced L to a CTI server (i.e. a computer-telephony integration server) 30.
A remote user (who may not have a telephone unit 10 connected to the private automatic branch exchange) will therefore use his telephone 11 or his data terminal 12, in this system, to access the company's voice and/or data server 40 through the network R1. When access is obtained, the server asks the user to enter the sequence appropriate to the requested service. The server 40 sends on this sequence to the CTI server that is capable of conducting the requisite programming operation in the private automatic branch exchange 20.
If the requested service is an operation of call forwarding from the user's telephone unit, then the call to the user's unit will be forwarded to the number given by said user by means of his telephone unit 11 or a data terminal 12.
For example, in the case of a remote command for call forwarding from the telephone unit attached to a private automatic branch exchange (PABX).
To perform this function with the system that has just been described, two methods may be considered:                access to a voice server or,        access by modem, Internet or Minitel.        
According to the function, when the person is outside the company, he will be able to carry out remote call forwarding from the telephone unit in the company to the number of his GSM terminal so that calls sent to his telephone unit in the company can be received on his GSM terminal.
In the case of voice access, the user must call the number of the voice server in the company from a telephone. One possible sequence is the following:                the company's voice server is called,        the voice server takes the call and requests the user to key in the following by means of a DTMF (dual-tone modulation frequency) sequence:                    the number of the user's telephone unit in the company (for example keying in four DTMF keys of the telephone keypad),            a personal password in order to authenticate the user (for example four DTMF keys),            the type of forwarding desired, cancellation of forwarding or request for forwarding (one or two DTMF keys),            the forwarding number to which the calls intended for the telephone in the company will be forwarded,                        the telephone unit is disconnected and the call is taken into account.        
In this method, the user will take about 90 seconds to enter the information and carry out this function.
In case of data access in general (using a modem, Minitel or Internet access), the user must get connected with the terminal appropriate to the server in the company. One possible sequence is as follows:                the user connects to the company server and an entry page is proposed to the user to be filled in with the following information:                    the number of the user's telephone unit in the company (for example the keying in of four digits)            a personal password in order to authenticate the user (for example four digits),            the type of call forwarding desired, cancellation of forwarding or request for forwarding (several choices),            the call forwarding number to which the calls sent to the company telephone unit will be forwarded,                        the data terminal is disconnected and the call is taken into account.        
In this method, the user will take about 90 seconds to enter the information and carry out this function.
The aim of the invention is to enable faster access to a telecommunications and/or computer service. This is obtained by means of a system using short messages to convey command parameters addressed to the server.
These messages can be sent by telecommunications terminals such as mobile telephony terminals for which the short message service (SMS) will be used or else by means of fixed telephone terminals using the integrated services digital network (ISDN), the messages being then sent according to the User-to-User Signalling (UUS) standard.
Advantageously, the messages could be pre-programmed in the telecommunications terminals.
Thus, through the use of short messages from a telephone terminal, the use of the telecommunications and/or computer services of an operator or of a private entity are easy and quick. The ISDN and GSM terminals for example can be advantageously used within the framework of this invention.